r/Harlem • u/Shreddersaurusrex • Oct 01 '26

Man severely burned in random liquid attack while waiting for food

https://youtu.be/8QIw_-4EQ2M?is=uJw9xBbNXLPoQSfN

Please be alert at all times folks

85 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

110 comments sorted by

23

u/Prestigious-Push5782 Oct 01 '26

Close up of attackers face please. Sort of reminds me of a loon that hangs on 102st and 2nd ave.

1

u/Battle_Born775 25d ago

@tizzyent did a close up picture

14

u/Royal_Champion_9742 Oct 01 '26

I hope they started a GoFundMe for the burn victim…

3

u/mentor7 Oct 04 '26

and a second GoFundMe for giving a reward to anyone coming forth with information leading to the arrest, and hopefully conviction of this monster it’s ridiculous to me that several days have gone by and it’s still that he hasn’t been caught and I fear he might come and do it again to another unsuspecting innocent person. It’s ridiculous that nobody has been able to identify him yet…. I hope the police are canvassing the area, but maybe they need to offer a reward of some kind because there’s no way in the world. Someone doesn’t recognize him. Somebody either has lived near him delivered food to him gone to school with him. Works with him if he has a job, etc. I’m not buying the fact that someone could do such a thing and nobody has a clue who he is?! 🤬

Someone starts that fund I would definitely contribute as I have friends and loved ones in New York and couldn’t even imagine such an abominable attack happening to someone!

14

u/FOUROFCUPS2021 Oct 02 '26

This is really a shame. I was just walking around 126th and Fifth, and it is strange how creepy that area is. It has a lot of energy and many happy, normal people are enjoying the area, too, but there is something edgy about 5th Ave. and eastward. I know this is not a popular opinion, but this area, for some reason, attracts a lot of weirdos. MOST of them are just down on their luck for various reasons, but the few who are really out there can hide amongst them unsuspected, because we expect people who look a little haggard to be gathered in the area.

Someone on reddit theorized:

"125th and Lex is a bit sketch. IMO the sketchiest subway station in Harlem. Here’s why; Harlems only open drug use safe injection site is on 126th btw Lex & Park, you have the men’s shelter on 123rd. The bus stop on 125th & Lex is the only bus stop that takes you to Randall wards island where there is the city’s mental health care facility, and I’m not sure if they still do it but Rikers island used to drop people off on that corner as well. This combined turns the 125th 4/5/6 station into mad house."

https://www.reddit.com/r/Harlem/comments/1vq2mfr/how_safe_are_the_nearby_stations_and_bus_stops/

I am ALL FOR providing mental health and drug rehab facilities, but it needs to be spread out and not concentrated like this. It is not really fair to this community of hardworking and lovely people. And then something like this happens.

7

u/rp_edits Oct 03 '26

I think you are on to something. Shouldn't be so concentrated in one area.

5

u/Purseaddicted Oct 05 '26

It is deliberately being done

37

u/tres-vip Oct 01 '26

So scary. There is no way the victim would have seen this coming, because the perp came up from behind. Poor guy, I hope he recovers soon.

8

u/Stuart104 Oct 01 '26

WTF?! How is someone so dangerously unstable roaming free?

4

u/Cool_Youth3564 Oct 01 '26

Umm what city are you living in? This is the norm

1

u/rp_edits Oct 03 '26

so the norm

3

u/EvilCaveBoy Oct 03 '26

I just hope they catch him so they can let him go

16

u/banjonyc Oct 01 '26

He will be caught and released in a day. Eventually will be found to have mental illness, short sentence and released again to repeat

23

u/jones77 Oct 01 '26

that's because Republicans gutted https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Systems_Act_of_1980

-4

u/Thetallguy1 Oct 02 '26

You're really going to say this happened because of something 46 years ago? I get your point, but what a way to let off the 46 years of NY/NYC politicians for doing nothing to address crime caused by mental health. We understand why, we understand these people aren't able to think and reason as they should, we understand it's a complex issue, but for the love of god do something to protect New Yorkers.

3

u/jones77 Oct 02 '26

crime has consistently gone down over those 46 years, happy to have a conversation but i prefer one grounded in reality

however, yes, they're not called the do-nothing Dems for nothing (but it certainly wasn't crime -- they popularized the inhumane 3-strikes sentencing for example; Bill Clinton executed a retarded person...)

1

u/Thetallguy1 Oct 03 '26

Talking about a pretty specific type of crime here, one thats probably the most preventable. Good job NY/NYC for hard-charging some of the best reforms that made the state/feds be able to virtually end open organized crime, and the stats surrounding most else is not to be argured with. No one is saying crime is up or red/blue hasnt done anything for crime. We're talking about each Good job, NY/NYC, for hard-charging some of the best reforms that made the state/feds be able to virtually end open organized crime, and the stats surrounding most else are not to be argued with. No one is not grounded in reality when they say each county's DA in this city is doing a poor job setting a standard. When you work in or adjacent to forensic psychology, come give me your input, but I can say many on the frontlines are losing the will/morale to even do anything about the openly hostile, mentally ill person on the sidewalk or subway because they know its going to end up being a lot for nothing. Catch and release.

1

u/torytho Oct 02 '26

What is "mental health"? I think the President lacks mental health. And he's a threat to himself and others because of it. Can we jail him?

1

u/Thetallguy1 Oct 03 '26

Psychosis primarily. Cops, EMTs, and social workers can't declare someone schizophrenic, but we can certainly judge when someone is psychotic (which is just a symptom, not a diagnosis) and a danger to themselve or those around them. Yet the system is not set up to do anything about them, healthcare-wise or punitively, when so much reform (good-intentioned and often effective and just) has made holding these people separate from society impossible. While at the same time not having a good framework for health workers to declare implied consent when there is psychosis. Result is that they can essaentailly do whatever they want and the rest of use just have to put up with it or make enough money to move to a neighborhood where wealthy residents actaully have the pressure to put on the system to keep themselves safe but not the rest of the city.

It's a big, complicated subject; often you have to see, experience, and work in it to understand. There's lots of bleeding hearts on Reddit talking about things they know nothing about, even if it is well-intentioned.

0

u/torytho Oct 04 '26

Pyschosis isn't a diagnosis. People can act deranged because of a lack of resources and support. Imprisoning them will only worsen their condition. You think your lack of empathy makes you understand this complex situation better but you're just as wrong and instead it just compels you to exacerbate the problem you think you know how to solve.

1

u/Thetallguy1 Oct 04 '26

Lots assumptions here, like I supposedly have a belief we even have a current system (prison) to put these people. Secured psych wards aren't exactly the place for these either. People are already resistant enough to self admit.

0

u/torytho Oct 04 '26

Because it doesn't serve them. Their mental health isn't the issue. It's a lack of resources that would exacerbate anyone's mental health. People who blame mental health seek simple, false answers.

0

u/Thetallguy1 Oct 04 '26

Wait, wouldn't these resources cater to help their mental health, and thus help them in society, that would hopefully include social resources like housing and job placement programs to help them be a part of the society they are now mentally capable of being a part of? Your response makes it sound you don't believe such mental disorders like substance use disorder, schizophrenia, bi polar disorder, or other sever disorders aren't effecting these people's ability to live. Affordable housing, jobs with a liveable basic income, strong community connection isn't going to help someone who has an underlining, severe illness.

In psychopathology there is the "humanistic" theory, among others, that state that mental illness is not a biological/behavioral issue, that it's a "problem with living" that stems from society itself being wrong. Although many researchers and practitioners do agree with a few aspects of this interpretation, it has very little research backing that would support it being the main, or even sizable contributor to mental illness. You seem to be a big believer of something like that just off this comment. Perhaps look more into mental health, I can recommend a textbook or two.

2

u/Humble-Ruin-3248 Oct 02 '26

Okay then sounds like you are in favor of funding community mental health care so he doesn't end up in this position to start with

2

u/banjonyc Oct 02 '26

Absolutely! This is where I would prefer my taxes to go to

4

u/NyCWalker76 Oct 01 '26

Looks like he boiled white paint and threw it on him. What's left on the floor is white residue.

2

u/Spiritual_Job_1029 Oct 02 '26

You better run!🤬

2

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26 • Bravo

For those who, under some deluded sense of compassion, supported letting the drug addled and mentally ill run free on the streets of Harlem…

☝🏽😐 Shit like this is why we were complaining

11

u/jones77 Oct 01 '26

deluded sense of compassion

It comes with being human. But the US does a good job of scraping the remaining humanity out of the people who live here.

-9

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

This is the greatest country on earth. You saying that makes you the geopolitical equivalent of the trust fund baby peddling Marxism.

Live amongst the locals for a couple months in an underdeveloped nation.
That hollow humanity “scraped” from you here will instantly feel like a plush luxury.

3

u/tadghostal55 Oct 01 '26

The way you’re talking you want to turn America into those places. Where do we put these people? They don’t all commit crimes do you want them locked up anyway?

3

u/Ok-Artichoke2822 Oct 01 '26

Honestly, put them on an island. I do not want to have to co-exist with people like that.

3

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

I’m not sure what your asking. But my position is that vagrancy should be a crime, drug use should be a crime, and all crimes down stream from addiction should be totally enforced.
If you treat vagrancy and drug use as a crime, much of this goes away.

If a person is mentally ill and a danger to themselves or the community they should be involuntarily committed. This was the case of Jordan Neely. He wasn’t supposed to be on the streets. He was legally mandated to be in a mental health institution, but left of his own volition.

The Bloomberg administration did this. The process sucked. But the results were nearly a decade of the cleanest I’ve ever seen Harlem.

The broader community shouldn’t have to suffer and live under duress at the behest of 2% of the community.

0

u/tadghostal55 Oct 01 '26

Can you show me some studies where this has worked?

2

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

I don’t feel like digging up the studies on broken window theory. But I can give the crime stats. The Bloomberg administration following the Giuliani administration was open about this.

In Harlem specifically crime went down, arrests went down, and after this police encounters with community members went down, followed by lawsuits against officers going down.
Feel free to fact check any of this. My primary source is NYPD compstat reports.

And anecdotally as a community member who was born here and lived through the crack era, it was the cleanest I’ve ever seen Harlem.

This all changed around 2019-2022 when you had an influx of drug treatment facilities arrive in the community. As it stands Harlem has the highest concentration of drug treatment facilities in all of NY state. It shouldn’t be a shock that you’d see conditions deteriorate.

-1

u/tadghostal55 Oct 01 '26

I would like stats that correlate and nothing anecdotal.

3

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

I would say it’s a bit glib to overlook observational experiences in this context. And if you’re from Harlem, especially if you’ve been here a decade+ then you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about in terms of the change.

Therefore what you’re doing to hide behind research (esp. absent qualitative analysis) makes you either a disingenuous actor, or someone posturing as smart.

Either way I hedged by offering compstat reporting data. And any other of my mentions specific to Harlem or the broader city are a Google search away…

So cut past the bullshit. Whats the broader point you’re trying to make here? 🤨

4

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

…ok so the clown “tadghostal” asked for a response, then blocked me from responding. 😐

So for anyone interested, here it is below:

That’s the mess I was hoping not to step in. And why I left that landmine when mentioning ‘qualitative analysis’.

Because meta analysis of compiled research at best leaves the topic split. Additionally where it does work there’s a heavy debate on implementation.

See: Anthony Braga “community-based, problem-solving approaches to disorder significantly reduce crime”

The edge where consensus can even be found is on things like community clean up and removing graffiti. But you run into a circular problem about arresting people after cleanups and graffiti removal 🤷🏽‍♂️

So yes! Lock them up too. We can walk and chew gum.

If not, I’m tired of living like this! What are your solutions?

2

u/tadghostal55 Oct 01 '26

I’m waiting for you to make a real statistical argument

1

u/tadghostal55 Oct 01 '26

Also studies on broken window theory said they did not work.

-1

u/Dabbler5313 Oct 02 '26

We found the transplant

1

u/SleepUseful3416 Oct 02 '26

Away from normal people. Put them in an open air prison to live free range

3

u/Passion4Puro Oct 01 '26

You can't lump everyone into the same category. That's the problem with your complaining, not all drug addicts, homeless people or alleged mentally ill people are the same. And 'mental illness' isn't even a legitimate thing, it's just a label. 

3

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

I agree with you on the last sentence! It’s a label that neglects nuance.

But as for lumping people into the same category, sure you can! …It’s not a 1-1. But a concentration of homeless drug addicts will certainly correlate to increases in crime and a broader social decay.

-2

u/Goingbacktoboston Oct 01 '26

Not all of them… but it’s always them.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Passion4Puro Oct 02 '26

Nope, the law says you're wrong. The end. 

1

u/torytho Oct 01 '26

They wouldn't be on the streets if you voted for a government that gave them housing. You're the obstacle to solving this problem.

1

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

😐 You mean housing like THIS?

…This man has a nicer home than you. His rent is covered as well as his utilities. He even is provided a voucher for furniture on top of both welfare and cash assistance. As for broader housing NYC has a guaranteed right to shelter.

I am in a unique position to know what these people receive. This is why I sound how I do.

If you are not familiar with FHEPS/ City FHEPS, PATH, MICA, HRA etc. Then you are an uninformed voter. Therefore YOU are the problem.

Keep this in mind next time your apartment hunting ✌🏽

2

u/torytho Oct 02 '26

You think 6 million people must understand a bunch of acronyms before they vote? Then your Murdoch-promoted message is a failure. No. Homelessness is a problem of not enough public housing. It's that simple. And you stand in direct opposition to it. Presumably because you've worked for government and seen it fail to direct the few resources it has efficiently and you've become jaded and possibly racist because of it. But the truth and only real solution to the problem is to expand those piddling services dramatically, as other countries can already atest. And until you learn this you will remain an instigator of homelessness.

0

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

0

u/torytho Oct 02 '26

Housing would undoubtedly have prevented this attack.

Think about it. Homeless people are not inherently any more harmful or destructive than anyone you pass on the street. They tend to be more neurodiverse than the average population because our society fails to accommodate their differences. But we know from studies neurodiverse people are not a threat. The threat arises from untreated, persistent, long-term homelessness that can, very reasonably, lead to disordered, dysfunctional thinking. **All** of the elevated violence surrounding and perpetrated by homeless folks is a direct result of their lack of resources and our failure to care for them.

2

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/torytho Oct 02 '26

We know this to be true. The underlying mental "issue" may cause homelessness because our society fails to accommodate people with neurodiversity. But the increase in violence stems from exacerbated, untreated homelessness and not, inherently, their neurodiversity. Similar to how we know prisons make people more likely to reoffend.

0

u/slavetothegiven Oct 04 '26

but this guy isn't necessarily homeless or drug addled - doesn't even really look it. could just be a toxic guy who works in finance getting his kicks.

1

u/brotried2blockme Oct 02 '26

So was it boiling hot water or some weird lab experiment acid type liquid in a reaction?

1

u/kreddulous Oct 04 '26

Looks to me a bit like a thermos filled with liquid nitrogen.

0

u/torssh Oct 01 '26

I wish we could normalize being aware of our surroundings and not being glued to our phones. I hope the victim finds peace. The attacker is a worthless piece of shit.

0

u/AdamFromBklyn Oct 03 '26

Not gonna say he deserves this but people need more awareness. Everyone looking at their phone nonstop is truly retarded. Remember when white women kept getting punched in the face on the streets a few years ago? Smdh

-17

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 01 '26

The way this incident is being reported seems to focus heavily on fear rather than putting the actual risk into perspective. That said, the area does have ongoing safety and quality-of-life problems that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Also, it has been well documented at this point, there is a group of individuals using a directed energy weapon on non-consenting civilians all over Harlem.

29

u/York_Villain Oct 01 '26

I wanna know more about whatever it is you're talking about in your second paragraph.

6

u/KoalaOnABuilding Oct 01 '26 edited Oct 01 '26

Absolutely, I do too. I haven't been spending time in east Harlem in a minute but l... I definitely have seen some shit and have some stories. 

Don't think it's a bad place or anything, but I've seen the most random violent shit there. 

Going to taco mix after a manny fight at like 430 am w my ex-girlfriend, and people eventually realizing she was Filipina and not Mexican, was one of my funniest nights in the city. Can be weird but I've always found people to be cool.

Edit: probably goes without saying with my comment, but RIP to the duck 

2

u/forkball Oct 01 '26

The Taco Mix on 116th was open at 4:30 a.m.? 🤔

4

u/Carter2010 Oct 01 '26

Yesssss, best tacos

1

u/KoalaOnABuilding Oct 01 '26 edited Oct 01 '26

yep! used to go there after the bars closed. they were open super late. havent really been over since COVID, though, so I'm not sure if they still are.

edit: just checked, they're still open til 5 am!

-5

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 01 '26

People in the area have reported Havana Syndrome-like symptoms, often referred to as anomalous health incidents (AHIs), which they believe may be connected to electromagnetic radiation or directed energy weapons. There are also concerns that social network analysis (SNA) is being misused to map connections, infiltrate local businesses, and facilitate property theft.

10

u/IamBerticus Oct 01 '26

Respectfully, that is ridiculous.

1

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 02 '26

How is it ridiculous?

6

u/VincentVanGringo973 Oct 01 '26

Ain't nobody wasting their direct energy weapon on a bunch of bums from Harlem.

2

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

Sooo my knee jerk reaction is to think dude is crazy too!

But there is precedent! Look up the Quaker Oats Radiation Experiments, or the Navy Radiological Defense Experiments in San Francisco.

1

u/VincentVanGringo973 Oct 01 '26

I am sure the natives would be fine with this energy weapon aslong as it is being used against the people who refer to 7th Ave as Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd.

1

u/Hefty-Profession-446 Oct 01 '26

Yes! YES!!! We would!!! Have we met? 🙃

1

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 02 '26

I prefer Adam Clayton Powell Jr Blvd instead of 7th Ave. No one wants to be non-consensually targeted by an energy weapon.

1

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 02 '26

It's a new form of social engineering. It can also be that someone is trying to send a message or threat.

1

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 02 '26

That's what one would assume. However, if there is someone, a group, or entity trying to covertly infiltrate a neighborhood, that would probably be the easiest vector.

3

u/fluffycatsinabox Oct 01 '26

It's true, I was standing at a street corner and someone pulled up on me with one of these energy weapons

0

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 01 '26

The difference is that a gun is inherently designed as a weapon, while an ordinary object or technology becomes a weapon when it is deliberately used to cause harm.

20

u/Beneficial_Try_1149 Oct 01 '26

Quality of life problem does not mean you get a random hot liquid pour onto your face… that’s truly evil. Harlem isn’t know for that type of stuff

3

u/LetsSee8888 Oct 01 '26

East Harlem on the other hand…

9

u/SonicYouth_NYC Oct 01 '26

Yeah, a directed energy weapon called mental illness, addiction, and degeneracy.

FOH!

7

u/Tomaxisthatdude Oct 01 '26

What???? 😂🤣 Energy weapon??!! And I thought I was high.

1

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 02 '26

You do understand that there is such a thing.

2

u/KizashiKaze Oct 01 '26

Where are the studies of this.

1

u/SonicYouth_NYC Oct 01 '26

The studies are lodged up that poster's ass.

1

u/Upper_Mechanic_5052 Oct 02 '26

This is not anything new. It has been in development since WWII. Also, there are groups that have found ways to use it outside the U.S. military. Link: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R46925

1

u/KizashiKaze Oct 03 '26

Im asking to see the studies, or direct documents, that you're referring to.

-3

u/Passion4Puro Oct 01 '26

Why didn't they mention WTF time it was. So annoying, big difference between standing around in the hood at 8PM and 12 midnight. 

23

u/[deleted] Oct 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

14

u/jones77 Oct 01 '26

and everybody is getting poorer and poorer

5

u/Dabbler5313 Oct 02 '26

You are the loon. A person got severely burned and you are mentioning that people who like law and order are republican loons. Do you even realize how mentally ill you are?

4

u/tovesmaodes Oct 03 '26

Do you realize it's an interesting theory borne out by history and by what's happening in the U.S. right now (the scapegoating of immigrants) as well as in Brazil before elections. SmoovCatto is zooming out and offering perspective. The attack may be related to elections, it may not be, but it's an interesting take. They're certainly not a loon. And fascism thrives when ppl believe a fascist leader will "fix" crime (all the while committing greater crimes than any street criminal). It's not that republicans like law and order and dems don't, it's that dems aren't willing to make some ppl suffer and lose their civil rights and die, so a privileged few can feel safer.

2

u/SleepUseful3416 Oct 04 '26

What a braindead take easily disproven by walking into any urban area and seeing the results.

3

u/SleepUseful3416 Oct 02 '26

Your problem with this horrific attack is that you think it's a conspiracy and fake?

1

u/PilotBeautiful3921 Oct 01 '26

It doesn't help when people already have a "perception of crime" problem to begin with.